The Washington Post: White House Officials Warn U.S. Has Exhausted Funds To Buy Potential Fourth Vaccine Dose For All Americans 
The Biden administration lacks the funds to purchase a potential fourth coronavirus vaccine dose for everyone, even as other countries place their own orders and potentially move ahead of the United States in line, administration officials said Monday. Federal officials have secured enough doses to cover a fourth shot for Americans age 65 and older as well as the initial regimen for children under 5, should regulators determine those shots are necessary, said three officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to detail funding decisions. But the officials say they cannot place advance orders for additional vaccine doses for those in other age groups, unless Congress passes a stalled $15 billion funding package. (Diamond, Roubein and Abutaleb, 3/22)

People: White House Says They're Out Of Money For Fourth COVID Vaccine Dose
"Right now, we don't have enough money for fourth doses, if they're called for," White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients told former COVID-19 advisor Andy Slavitt on an upcoming episode of his podcast, In The Bubble With Andy Slavitt, recorded Monday and shared with the [Washington] Post. "We don't have the funding, if we were to need a variant-specific vaccine in the future." The lack of money is due to Congress eliminating the proposed $15 billion for the White House's COVID-19 program — which supplies free testing, treatments and vaccinations — in the larger government spending bill that passed two week ago that President Joe Biden signed into law last Tuesday. (Mazziota, 3/22)

Fortune: White House: There’s No Money To Pay For Everyone’s Fourth COVID Shot
While medical officials debate whether a second COVID-19 booster shot is necessary, Biden administration officials are warning that the government doesn’t have the money to pay for those doses, as it did the first vaccination rounds. ... Pfizer and Moderna have both filed for emergency authorization for a second COVID-19 booster shot for people 65 and older -- this would mean a third or fourth round of jabs, depending on the vaccines you've had previously. (Morris, 3/22)

In related news about boosters —

Salon: Do We All Need A Fourth Vaccine Dose? Why Doctors Are Not Convinced — Yet 
Studies continue to show that mRNA vaccines and boosters for COVID-19 are very successful at preventing hospitalization and death, but there has been some data to suggest their overall effectiveness against coronavirus infections is waning — especially when confronted with the omicron variant. Notably, one recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine analyzed data from 2,239,193 people in Qatar who had received at least 2 doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Researchers found that for those who were fully vaccinated and boosted, protection against the delta variant was 86.1 percent; but against symptomatic illness from the omicron variant, protection was only 49.4 percent. A separate study from the United Kingdom determined the effectiveness of a third Pfizer dose declined from 67 to 46 percent within a few months after vaccination at preventing a symptomatic infection. (Karlis, 3/22)

Detroit Free Press: Beaumont Study: Booster Vaccine Dose Cut Risk Of COVID-19 Death 45%
COVID-19 vaccine booster shots reduced the risk of death in adults hospitalized at Beaumont Health by 45% compared with unvaccinated patients, according to a new study published in The Lancet Regional Health — Americas medical journal. The observational study is among the first to examine how effective COVID-19 vaccine boosters are in the real world. It included 8,232 people with COVID-19 who were hospitalized with the virus between Aug. 12 and Jan. 20 at Beaumont's hospitals — during both the delta and omicron variant surges. The mortality rate was 7.1% among the 448 people who were fully vaccinated and boosted. (Jordan Shamus, 3/22)

The Wall Street Journal: Biden Administration To Stop Reimbursing Hospitals For Covid-19 Care For Uninsured 
Some people without health insurance will begin getting bills for Covid-19 treatments and testing after the Biden administration on Tuesday starts winding down a federal program that reimburses providers for virus-related care for the uninsured and that officials say is running out of funds. The White House says it will end the reimbursement program, which started under the Trump administration and also pays hospitals and other healthcare providers for things such as administering Covid-19 vaccines to uninsured people, by the end of April because it is running out of money. The administration and hospitals are urging lawmakers to approve more funding for the program. (Armour and Siddiqui, 3/22)

AP: COVID Budget Impasse Halts Aid To Test And Treat Uninsured 
The Uninsured Program is an early casualty of the budget impasse between Congress and the White House over the Biden administration’s request for an additional $22.5 billion for ongoing COVID response. In operation since the Trump administration, the program reimburses hospitals, clinics, doctors and other service providers for COVID care for uninsured people, whose numbers total about 28 million. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/22)

Fierce Healthcare: White House: Providers Won't Get Reimbursed For Uninsured COVID-19 Care Unless Congress Acts
The program has been in place since the start of the pandemic roughly two years ago. The $175 billion Provider Relief Fund paid out the uninsured claims, and the American Rescue Plan allocated $4.8 billion to reimburse providers for testing uninsured patients. More than 50,000 providers have received reimbursements under the program, according to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration. (King, 3/15)

The Washington Post: Latest Version Of Omicron Accounts For Most New Infections In Many Parts Of The U.S., Genomics Testing Shows
The recently emerged version of the coronavirus called BA.2 that has driven a wave of cases in Europe now accounts for as much as 70 percent of new infections in many parts of the United States, according to an estimate from the genomics company Helix that could signal a new chapter in the third year of the pandemic. The estimate from Helix, which conducts genomic sequencing on virus samples, comes amid concerns that Europe’s surge in infections will be replicated in coming weeks in the United States, where caseloads have often trailed those in Europe by roughly a month. (Achenbach, 3/22)

Bay Area News Group: Omicron BA.2 Subvariant Now One In Three U.S. COVID-19 Cases
The CDC data show that as of March 19, BA.2 — often referred to as “stealth omicron” — accounted for 34.9% of genetically sequenced samples across the U.S., up from 22.3% as of March 12 and 12.6% on March 5. In the Northeast, BA.2 accounts for as much as 55.4% of the virus, and in Western states including California, 41.3%. Dr. George Rutherford, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California-San Francisco, said the increase is “about what I expected” given the subvariant’s transmissibility. “It will continue to climb at 10 percentage points a week or so,” Rutherford said. (Woolfolk, 3/22)

Bloomberg: BA.2 Variant Spreading In U.S., CDC Says, Especially In New York, Northeast
The fast-growing lineage of the coronavirus is most common in New England and in the New York region, where it accounted for more than half of all new infections, according to agency projections. While Covid cases have continued to drop nationally, New York City saw infections rise about 33% to 924 for the week ending March 19, according to a separate tally of cases from the agency — well below levels during the winter omicron surge. BA.2 isn't believed to be more dangerous than other strains, though there are indications that it is more infectious. (Muller, 3/22)

The Boston Globe: Omicron Subvariant Now Accounts For Over Half Of All COVID-19 Cases In New England, CDC Says
A new Omicron subvariant, which is believed to be one of the drivers of a COVID-19 resurgence in Europe, now accounts for more than half the new cases in New England, according to estimates from the CDC. The subvariant, known as BA.2, accounted for 55.4 percent of cases in New England as of Saturday, continuing to elbow out other varieties of Omicron. Nationally, BA.2 has grown to account for 34.9 percent of cases, up from 1 percent as recently as early February, according to the CDC estimates. (Fincane, Fujiwara and Huddle, 3/22)

More on the surge of BA.2 —

CNN: US Covid-19: As BA.2 Subvariant Grows, Experts Look To Other Countries To Predict Its Impact Here 
After weeks in free fall, new Covid-19 cases are starting to level off in the US, as the BA.2 subvariant continues its ascent. BA.2 caused about 35% of cases in the US last week, up from 22% the week before, according to new estimates from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which were posted on Tuesday. At the same time, new Covid-19 cases are holding steady or increasing in about 19 states, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Some of the states seeing increases—New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Jersey are in northeastern regions where the CDC estimates that BA.2 is now causing more than half of new Covid-19 cases. (Goodman, 3/23)

The Washington Post: How Fast Omicron’s BA.2 Variant Is Spreading Around The World
In a pattern the world has seen twice over the past year, a new version of the coronavirus is sweeping across the globe. Omicron’s BA.2 subvariant is already by far the world’s dominant form of the coronavirus, as recorded in the GISAID international repository of coronavirus genetic sequences analyzed by The Washington Post. (Keating, Dong and Shin, 3/22)

The Wall Street Journal: Clues To Covid-19’s Next Moves Come From Sewers 
At a sewage treatment plant on a sliver of land in Boston Harbor, trickles of wastewater are pumped into a plastic jug every 15 minutes. Samples from the jugs, analyzed at a lab in nearby Cambridge, Mass., are part of the growing effort to monitor the Covid-19 virus in wastewater across the U.S. On Deer Island in Boston, readings from the system covering 2.4 million people have recently shown virus readings leveling off after a steep decline from this winter’s Omicron-driven rise. In some areas, levels of the virus may be edging higher. (Abbott and Kamp, 3/22)

NPR: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Tests Positive (Again) For COVID-19
White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Tuesday that she had tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement posted to Twitter, Psaki said she had two "socially-distanced meetings" with Biden on Monday and said he is not considered a close contact by CDC guidance. Biden tested negative with a PCR test on Tuesday, she said. "Today, in preparation for travel to Europe, I took a PCR test this morning. That test came back positive, which means I will be adhering to CDC guidance and no longer be traveling on the President's trip to Europe," Psaki wrote on Twitter. (Franklin, 3/22)

AP: Hillary Clinton Tests Positive For COVID; Bill Quarantining
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday she has tested positive for COVID-19 with “mild” symptoms. On social media, the former Democratic presidential candidate said she was “feeling fine” and that former President Bill Clinton had tested negative and was quarantining until their household was fully cleared. (3/22)

In other news about the spread of the novel coronavirus —

CIDRAP: Study Shows Efficient Deer-To-Deer SARS-CoV-2 Transmission
A US study shows that white-tailed deer (WTD) inoculated with COVID-19–causing SARS-CoV-2 shed infectious virus for up to 5 days, resulting in efficient deer-to-deer transmission on day 3, findings the authors say highlight the potential for deer to become a reservoir for the virus. ... "Understanding the infection and transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in WTD is critical to prevent future zoonotic transmission to humans, (at the human-WTD interface during hunting or venison farming), and for implementation of effective disease control measures," the study said. (3/22)

CNN: How Protected Are We Against Covid-19? Scientists Search For A Test To Measure Immunity 
In 2010, doctors told Ben Sobieck, now 37, that his kidneys were inexplicably failing. Shortly after, he had a kidney transplant and started on the lifelong medications that weaken his immune system to keep his body from rejecting the donor organ. They never figured out what caused Sobieck's kidney failure. But a decade later, he confronted another threat to his health: the Covid-19 pandemic. "I am on immunosuppressants that make me more vulnerable for serious Covid complications," said Sobieck, 37, who lives in Minnesota. "If you're immunocompromised, you may not have a very good response to the [Covid-19] vaccine." Seeking evidence that his immune system was working the way it should, Sobieck made an unusual request: He asked his nephrologist to do a blood test that gives a rough measure of antibodies, a type of protein the body creates in response to an infection or vaccine. Antibody titers reveal the concentration of a specific antibody found in someone's blood. (Ahmed, 3/22)

Reuters: U.S. Travel Industry Urges White House To Lift COVID Restrictions, Mask Mandate 
The U.S. Travel Association on Tuesday urged the White House to lift COVID-19 travel restrictions and repeal a mandate requiring masks on airplanes and in other transit modes by April 18, according to a letter seen by Reuters. In a letter to Dr. Ashish Jha, the incoming White House COVID response coordinator, the group called for an immediate end to the pre-departure testing requirement for all fully vaccinated inbound international persons and ending the mask mandate by April 18 "or announcing a plan and timeline to repeal the federal mask mandate within the subsequent 90 days." (Shephardson, 3/22)

Dallas Morning News: Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants Ask Biden To Drop Face Mask Mandate
The union for flight attendants at Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is asking the White House and other aviation regulators to drop face mask mandates that have become a hallmark of flying during the COVID-19 pandemic. The TWU Local 556 union that represents that carrier’s 16,000 flight attendants said in a letter to President Joe Biden and other regulators that “Serving onboard during these contentious times and enforcing mask compliance is one of the most difficult jobs we have ever faced as flight attendants.” (Arnold, 3/22)

The New York Times: When Are Mask Mandates On Airplanes Ending?
Air travel has been one of the last holdouts for strict pandemic mask requirements. In the United States, for example, the mask mandate — which was recently extended to April 18, when it comes up for review again — is still enforced. Over the last year, 922 of those who didn’t wear masks received fines from the Transportation Security Administration, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. But there are hints that the tide may be turning: Within the past few weeks, Danish airports and London’s Heathrow Airport have lifted their mask requirements, as have several major British airlines. (Murphy, 3/22)

In updates on covid mandates in New York —

The New York Times: A Judge On New York State’s Highest Court Is Unvaccinated And Could Be Removed From The Bench
A judge on New York State’s highest court could face removal from the bench for failing to comply with the state’s Covid vaccination mandate, according to court guidelines and state officials. Jenny Rivera, an associate judge on the state Court of Appeals, has participated remotely in the court’s activities since the fall, when the state court system’s vaccination mandate took effect and unvaccinated employees were barred from court facilities. (O'Brien, 3/23)

The New York Times: Preschoolers Can Shed Their Masks, Mayor Adams Says 
In his first months as mayor, Eric Adams has been almost singularly focused on New York City’s recovery from the pandemic, urging workers to return to offices and ending mask mandates for school-age children and vaccine mandates for restaurants and gyms. Mr. Adams forged ahead with that effort on Tuesday, declaring an end to the city’s school mask mandate for children under 5 — his latest move to restore a sense of normalcy in a city battered by the coronavirus. (Fitzsimmons, 3/22)

Also —

Seattle Times: Seattle Students Walk Out Of School, Demand Mask Mandates Be Reinstated 
More than 100 Seattle Public Schools students walked out of class Monday morning to protest the district’s decision to end the requirement that students and staff wear masks. Many of those students rallied at district headquarters, the John Stanford Center, to ask Superintendent Brent Jones to reinstate the mask mandate districtwide. Mask requirements for Seattle and most other districts in the state ended a week ago. (Velez, 3/21)

AP: Michigan School Paying $190K In Dispute With Outspoken Mom 
A suburban Detroit school district agreed to pay nearly $190,000 to settle a lawsuit by a parent who said she lost her job after criticizing COVID-19 policies. The Rochester district released the agreement Tuesday after a public records request by The Associated Press. Controversies over masks, online learning, in-person instruction and other issues have hit schools across the U.S. during the pandemic. But the allegations in Rochester were extraordinary: Elena Dinverno accused the district of making calls that caused her to be fired from her marketing job. (White, 3/22)

Politico: 5 Takeaways From Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court Hearing 
Republicans unloaded a broad arsenal of attacks on Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Tuesday, confronting her on issues ranging from her sentences for child pornography defendants to her representation of Guantanamo Bay inmates to alleged acts of judicial activism. But as the hearing passed the 12-hour mark, Jackson seemed largely unruffled. In a few instances, her irritation with the questioning led to responses delivered “with all due respect” when it seemed she didn’t think much respect was due. (Gerstein and Levine, 3/22)

The New York Times: Pledging To ‘Stay In My Lane,’ Jackson Defends Her Record
While Republicans had initially been wary of the optics of attacking the first Black woman to be put forward for the Supreme Court, some G.O.P. members of the panel — particularly those with presidential ambitions — assailed Judge Jackson’s record in a series of tense exchanges in which they implied that she was soft on crime, particularly when it came to child sexual abuse, and an extremist on matters of race. ... Mr. Durbin sought to get ahead of the issue on Tuesday, opening the hearing by asking Judge Jackson what went through her mind on Monday as she sat and listened, with her family looking on, while a host of Republicans accused her of having coddled sex offenders in her rulings and sentencing recommendations. She used the moment to deliver an emphatic response that telegraphed some of her anger at those attacks. “As a mother and a judge who has had to deal with these cases, I was thinking that nothing could be further from the truth,” Judge Jackson responded. “These are some of the most difficult cases that a judge has to deal with, because we’re talking about sex abuse of children.” (Hulse and Rogers, 3/23)

Politico: Blackburn To Jackson: Can You Define ‘The Word Woman’?
As the confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson went into hour 13, Sen. Marsha Blackburn asked the Supreme Court nominee on Tuesday to define the word “woman.” “I can’t — ” Jackson replied. “You can’t?” Blackburn said. “Not in this context. I’m not a biologist,” Jackson said. “The meaning of the word woman is so unclear and controversial that you can’t give me a definition?” Blackburn asked. ... Jackson said her role as a judge would be to address disputes about a definition and to interpret the law. (Ward, 3/22)

The Hill: Cruz Presses Jackson On Critical Race Theory In Tense Questioning
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) repeatedly pressed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated to serve on the Supreme Court, about critical race theory and whether it might influence her work as a justice during her confirmation hearing on Tuesday. During the most dramatic part of the questioning, Cruz singled out a book titled “Antiracist Baby,” which argues that babies are taught to be racist or anti-racist and there is no neutrality. The Texas senator said the book was taught to four- to seven-year-olds at Washington's Georgetown Day School, where Jackson serves as a member of the board of trustees. ... “Senator,” said Jackson, “I do not believe that any child should be made to feel as though they are racist or though they are not valued or though they are less than their victims, that they are oppressors. I don’t believe in any of that.” (Bolton, /3/22)

Also —

Politico: 12 Questions That Would Actually Tell Us Something About Ketanji Brown Jackson 
POLITICO Magazine reached out to a select group of constitutional scholars and Supreme Court watchers to ask: What one question should senators ask to understand how she’ll shape the court? Here’s what they had to say. (3/22)

Politico: Ketanji Brown Jackson: 55 Things You Need To Know 
What do Americans need to know as Jackson goes under the microscope to replace the retiring Justice Stephen Breyer? Here, culled from speeches, media coverage and Judiciary Committee questionnaires, is a primer on the life of Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden’s first nominee to the highest court. (Creamer, 3/21)

Bloomberg: Abbott Infant Formula Plant Found Unsanitary Before Recall
Food and Drug Administration inspectors found unsanitary conditions at an Abbott Laboratories plant in Michigan that makes infant formula in September, five months before the company conducted a recall of products associated with the deaths of two babies. The FDA’s inspection started on Sept. 20, according to a report posted on the regulator’s website on Tuesday. The same day, Minnesota health officials told the agency about the case of an infant who fell ill with a dangerous bacteria called chronobacter after consuming infant formula. (Edney, 3/22)

AP: FDA Details Problems At Plant Behind Recalled Baby Formula
Baby formula maker Abbott failed to maintain sanitary conditions and procedures at the Michigan manufacturing plant recently linked to a cluster of infant illnesses, according to findings released Tuesday by federal safety inspectors. The Food and Drug Administration posted its initial inspection findings from the Abbott plant that’s been tied to several infant hospitalizations, including two deaths, due to a rare bacterial infection. Abbott recalled various lots of three popular powdered infant formulas in mid-February. FDA inspectors have been on-site inspecting the Sturgis, Michigan, facility since late January. (Perrone, 3/22)

In other news about infant nutrition —

Fortune: ByHeart’s Mia Funt On The Launch Of Its Next-Generation Infant Formula, Raising $190 Million In Funding And The Future Of Baby Nutrition
Mia Funt started ByHeart five years ago, one year after her first daughter, Neve, was born. She, like so many parents, approached both breastfeeding and formula feeding Neve with insecurity (how to do it, when to do it, when to NOT do it, etc). When it came to formula, the options were confusing and the nutrition was unclear. She ended up feeling like she was compromising any time she couldn’t breastfeed. “I had ALL of these questions when I stood in front of a shelf of formulas, and I couldn’t find one that I would feel confident feeding my baby,” she starts her story. (Butkovic, 3/23)

And Pfizer issues a recall —

NPR: Pfizer Launches A Recall Of Blood Pressure Drugs Due To A Potential Carcinogen
Pfizer Inc. is recalling a blood pressure drug due to elevated levels of a potential cancer-causing impurity. The company warned consumers on Monday of several tainted lots of Accuretic and two other versions of the drug – Quinapril and hydrochlorothiazide tablets – because of the presence of a nitrosamine above the Acceptable Daily Intake level. "Nitrosamines are common in water and foods, including cured and grilled meats, dairy products and vegetables. Everyone is exposed to some level of nitrosamines," according to the Food and Drug Administration. (Romo, 3/22)

In other pharmaceutical and biotech industry news —

The New York Times: Another Theranos Trial Begins, This Time Without the Fanfare
A small group with cameras milled around on the sidewalk. Inside, a smattering of reporters stared into their phones. And when the defendant walked in, flanked by lawyers, barely anyone noticed. So began the federal trial on Tuesday of Ramesh Balwani, the tech executive who is accused of defrauding patients and investors about Theranos, the blood testing start-up he helped build. Mr. Balwani, who goes by Sunny, has pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. (Woo and Griffith, 3/22)

Axios: Private Equity's Pandemic-Era Health Care Push Into Pharmaceuticals And Medical Devices
Private equity firms invested nearly $70 billion in the life sciences and medical device industries last year — a sign that the pandemic's disruptions didn't cool interest in the sectors, according to a new report by the American Investment Council. The influx of capital could help bring more lifesaving drugs and medical technologies to market. But private equity's growing presence in health care isn't always viewed positively, particularly when it's associated with price increases or reduced access to care. (Owens, 3/23)

NPR: Frustrated Nurses Waiting Months To Get Licensed
More than half of the 12,000 nurses who were issued licenses to work in Pennsylvania in 2021 waited for three months or longer to get them, according to an NPR data analysis. That's one of the longest waits in the 32 states where data is available, NPR's Austin Fast found in an investigation that revealed license applications of newly graduated or relocating nurses often get tangled in red tape for months, waiting for state approval to treat patients. The delays came during a year when as many as 1 in 4 Pennsylvania nurse positions went unfilled, according to a survey from the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. Nurses and health care groups say the failure to promptly certify nurses added to the critical staffing shortage during some of the worst months of the coronavirus pandemic. (Sholtis, 3/23)

Connecticut Public: Health Providers: It's Nearly Impossible To Attract New Physicians To CT
In 2011, Dr. Timothy Siegrist had just finished his residency training in urology in New York City. He and his wife wanted to move back to Connecticut, where they were both originally from. Siegrist interviewed at five urology practices across the state before settling on one in Middletown, where he’s been ever since. A decade later, four out of those five practices, including his own, now belong to larger health care corporations. “The No. 1 reason they were unable to remain independent was the inability to recruit new candidates to their practice,” he said. “In my experience, unless a candidate has family ties that compel them to return or remain in this state, it is nearly impossible to attract new physicians to Connecticut.” (Leonard, 3/22)

Stat: Before His Death, He Warned Of Pandemic's Toll On Nurses 
In early 2020, Michael Odell sensed that Covid-19 would hit hard. A young intensive care nurse who traveled to hospitals needing an extra hand, he told his family that demand for people like him was surging. By April 2, just a few weeks into what had become an atmosphere of fear and mass death, he was worried about the toll on health care workers. He had been standing in for families barred from the bedside, watching repeated scenes of patient after patient deteriorating. “I am already feeling the emotional burnout of caring for patients who, despite some being the sickest they’ve ever been, are unable to have their loved ones by them,” Odell wrote on Facebook that day. “What do you say to someone who is facing death and can’t have their loved ones with them?” ... [I]n January of this year, amid another Covid-19 wave, Odell walked out of his shift early one morning while working at Stanford Health Care. He died in an apparent suicide. He was 27. (Joseph, 3/23)

And more about health care personnel —

KHN: Black Therapists Fight To Be Seen On TikTok. When They Are, They Find Solidarity. 
From a well-lighted room, the plants blurred in the background, their face framed by closed captioning, Shahem Mclaurin speaks directly into the camera. The lesson: “Ten ways to start healing.” But this is not a classroom, nor is it a therapist’s office. This is TikTok. “We all have our own things to carry, and those burdens shouldn’t be carried with us for the rest of our lives,” says Mclaurin, a licensed social worker. (Norman, 3/23)

KHN: Training Options Narrow For Medical Students Who Want To Learn Abortion Procedures 
A barrage of abortion restrictions rippling across the country, from Florida to Texas to Idaho, is shrinking the already limited training options for U.S. medical students and residents who want to learn how to perform abortion procedures. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends standardized training on abortion care during medical residency, the training period after medical school that provides future physicians on-the-job experience in a particular specialty. But the number of residency programs located in states where hospital employees are prohibited from performing or teaching about abortion — or at Catholic-owned hospitals with similar bans — has skyrocketed in recent years, an overlooked byproduct of anti-abortion legislation taking root in the American South, Midwest, and Mountain states. (Varney, 3/23)

AP: Accidental Injection Death Of Wrong Drug: Ex-Nurse On Trial 
The attorney for a former Tennessee nurse on trial in the death of a patient accidentally injected with a paralyzing drug told jurors Tuesday the woman is being blamed for systemic problems at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. RaDonda Vaught, 37, is facing a charge of reckless homicide for administering the drug vecuronium to 75-year-old Charlene Murphey instead of the sedative Versed on Dec. 26, 2017. (Loller, 3/22)

The Washington Post: An Oral Surgeon ‘Fed’ His Girlfriend’s Addictions With Anesthesia And An IV Pole, Police Say. Now He’s Charged With Murder.
An oral surgeon accused of supplying his girlfriend with addictive anesthesia solutions using an IV stand was charged with “depraved heart” murder Tuesday, stemming from her fatal overdose in their Maryland home, according to Montgomery County court records. James Michael Ryan, 48, was ordered held in jail without bond Tuesday in the death of Sarah Harris, 25. She was a former patient of Ryan’s who had lived at his Clarksburg home for seven months, police say. (Morse, 3/22)

New Hampshire Public Radio: Multiple Women Accuse Eric Spofford Of Sexual Misconduct 
Elizabeth walked out of Green Mountain Treatment Center in 2017 on what she described as a spiritual high. She was newly sober and excited to start the next chapter of her recovery from opioid addiction. Those feelings were fleeting. Just one day after leaving treatment, she said she received unsolicited, explicit Snapchat messages, including a photo of a penis and invitations to meet for sex. The content of these messages disturbed her, but it was the sender that broke her. The messages came from Eric Spofford, the founder of Granite Recovery Centers (GRC), the parent company of the facility Elizabeth had just left. Spofford is one of the most prominent and influential figures in New Hampshire’s response to the opioid epidemic. (Chooljian, 3/22)

ProPublica: St. Jude Fights Donors’ Families In Court For Share Of Estates 
Most Americans know St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through television advertisements featuring Hollywood celebrities asking for contributions or the millions of fundraising appeals that regularly arrive in mailboxes across the country. But a select group of potential donors is targeted in a more intimate way. Representatives of the hospital’s fundraising arm visit their homes; dine with them at local restaurants; send them personal notes and birthday cards; and schedule them for “love calls.” (Armstrong and Gabrielson, 3/21)

In other health care industry news —

Detroit Free Press: Henry Ford Health System Gets New Name, Logo In Rebranding Campaign
The familiar signature of auto baron Henry Ford will no longer be part of the logo for the health system he founded 107 years ago and that bears his name. The Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System announced Tuesday that it is changing its name — by dropping the word "system" — and is updating its logo as it launches a massive rebranding for the first time in 28 years. "It's something that we've been considering and evaluating for a period of time and we think the time is right for lots of reasons," said Wright Lassiter III, CEO of the newly renamed Henry Ford Health. (Jordan Shamus, 3/22)

Modern Healthcare: Two University Of Maryland Medical System Hospitals To Join Kaiser Network
Two University of Maryland Medical System hospitals will partner with Kaiser in an effort to increase patient access to value-based care, the providers said Tuesday. The University of Maryland Medical System's St. Joseph Medical Center and Capital Region Medical Center will be designated as Kaiser Premier hospitals and help Kaiser Permanente physicians provide inpatient services to their patients. (Devereaux, 3/22)

Stat: TeamHealth Hit With Alleged Overbilling Lawsuit, This Time From An Employer 
A Louisiana employer filed a class-action lawsuit against TeamHealth, alleging the private-equity-backed physician staffing firm “used a fraudulent and intentionally obfuscated scheme” to overcharge employers for care their workers got in hospital emergency rooms. It’s the first time employers — specifically those that are self-funded and therefore pay their own medical claims — have taken legal action against TeamHealth, which has repeatedly faced lawsuits with similar allegations from health insurance companies and patients. (Herman, 3/22)

Billings Gazette: State Investigating Patient Assault At Montana State Hospital
State officials and local law enforcement are investigating an assault on a patient by another patient at the state psychiatric hospital Monday evening, the state health department confirmed Tuesday. The attack comes at a moment for the Montana State Hospital where severe understaffing has contributed to the "immediate jeopardy" status imposed by the federal inspectors last month. The facility came in $7 million over budget this year after an increasing reliance on contract staff to supplement the ranks. A spokesperson for Providence St. Patrick Hospital, which has a Level II trauma center, did not immediately return a call seeking a status update on the victim. Sources say the victim was taken to a Missoula hospital. (Larson, 3/22)

The New York Times: Brain Implant Allows Fully Paralyzed Patient To Communicate 
In 2020 Ujwal Chaudhary, a biomedical engineer then at the University of Tübingen and the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Geneva, watched his computer with amazement as an experiment that he had spent years on revealed itself. A 34-year-old paralyzed man lay on his back in the laboratory, his head connected by a cable to a computer. A synthetic voice pronounced letters in German: “E, A, D…”The patient had been diagnosed a few years earlier with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which leads to the progressive degeneration of brain cells involved in motion. The man had lost the ability to move even his eyeballs and was entirely unable to communicate; in medical terms, he was in a completely locked-in state. (Moens, 3/22)

Stat: With ‘Brain-Reading’ Research, A Once-Tarnished Scientist Seeks Redemption
Niels Birbaumer, once a prominent neuroscientist at the University of Tübingen in Germany, fell hard from his pedestal three years back. He was accused of scientific misconduct for his controversial “brain-reading” research, stripped of funding, and fired from his job. His work, which showed that people paralyzed with ALS could communicate with a brain-computer interface, was retracted by the journal that published it, PLOS Biology. Now, Birbaumer, who has fiercely defended his previous research, hopes to see his reputation restored. (Keshavan, 3/22)

In other science news —

Fox News: Identical Twin Brothers Each Receive Heart Transplants: 'Quite Unique'
Identical twins Donald and Ronald Crigler have been through just about everything together — including life-saving heart transplants. The 48-year-old twins from the St. Louis area of Missouri were both diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, Donald in 2011 and Ronald in 2014. Donald Crigler received his heart transplant in 2017, while Ronald Crigler received his six months ago, in September 2021. Both men underwent their procedures at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. (Schmidt, 3/23)

Stat: New Results Against Covid May Point To Better Ways To Study Medicines
The battle against Covid-19 has been marked by false hope, as too many people embraced would-be cures like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin only to have rigorous studies fail to show the drugs had a benefit. One lesson is to only trust the most rigorous studies, known as randomized controlled clinical trials. But an equally important one: We need to get much better at conducting these rigorous studies more quickly and cheaply — and that goes beyond the Covid pandemic. This is not just a problem of science, but of infrastructure. (Herper, 3/23)

CNN: Long Covid Sheds Light On Chronic Illness: Meghan O'Rourke Q&A 
As Covid-19 infection rates fall, doctors and patients are sifting through the wreckage of symptoms left behind. Shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain, fatigue and brain fog — those are just some of the ongoing complaints of a growing number of people, many of whom had only mild cases of acute Covid-19. "Long Covid," also known as post-acute sequelae of Covid-19, is associated with a whole host of problems involving multiple body systems, much like other chronic diseases that often go unrecognized and undiagnosed. Today, doctors and scientists are seeing epic spikes in immune dysregulation following Covid-19. (DuLong, 3/22)

Fox News: Alcohol-Related Deaths Jumped During COVID-19 Pandemic: Study
Alcohol-related deaths increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to researchers. In a study published earlier this month, authors from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that the number and rate of deaths increased approximately 25% between 2019 and 2020 – from 78,927 to 99,017. (Musto, 3/22)

In mental health news —

CIDRAP: Study: Referrals For Partner Violence Increased During Pandemic
A study today in Pediatrics from researchers at Boston Children's Hospital suggests that, even during a shift away from face-to-face care, there was an increase in referrals for intimate partner violence (IPV) after the start of the pandemic. Face-to-face consults dropped from 28% to 2% when referrals were compared from the 11 months prior to the start of the pandemic to April 2020 through February 2021. But during that period, there was a significant jump in consults (240 to 295), primarily for emotional abuse (195 to 264). (3/22)

Fox News: Combating Online Relationship Abuse Requires Multipronged Approach
The Violence Against Women Act, which President Biden reauthorized last week, should lead to significant strides in combating online abuse including cyberstalking and the nonconsensual distribution of sexually explicit images, but leaders should explore additional opportunities to reduce the odds that online relationship abuse occurs in the first place through preventative education, rather than just providing redress for victims, according to One Love. "While it’s a crime to pull your pants down in the streets — a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by a fine or jail time — there was nothing stopping anyone from exposing themselves in your DMs, texts, or even via AirDrop, a disturbing trend," Bumble said. (Sudhakar, 3/22)

San Francisco Chronicle: Doctors Studied More Than 2 Decades Of Golden Gate Bridge Jumps. Their Research Shows Why Some Manage To Survive
As engineers gradually expand a suicide net beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, trauma surgeons in Marin are wrapping up what they hope will be the last report on people who survive a brutal 220-foot fall from the structure. Their research, which is undergoing peer review, offers a glimpse into the grim but intricate triage system used to pull people from the water and keep them alive. Few can withstand a crash at freeway speeds into the frigid waters of the bay, but doctors and emergency responders have managed to boost the odds of survival — from 2% historically to 3% since 2010. (Swan, 3/22)

In other public health news —

NBC News: Atlanta, Minneapolis Had Sharp Upticks In Air Pollution Last Year, Report Finds
Wildfires in the U.S. combined with the near-elimination of pandemic restrictions pushed air pollution levels in the U.S. back to pre-Covid levels in 2021, according to a report released Tuesday. IQAir, a Swiss company that monitors air quality around the world, said in the report that the U.S. as a whole saw a 7 percent increase in fine particle air pollution in 2021 compared to the previous year. Seven of the top 10 most populous cities in the United States have returned to pre-pandemic levels of air pollution, with Dallas, Miami and Washington, D.C., as the exceptions. (Thompson, 3/22)

AP: Research Finds More Lyme-Carrying Ticks In Maine Forest 
New research shows ticks that can transmit Lyme disease have been increasing in abundance in a forest in the state’s mid-coast region over the last three decades, according to researchers with a Maine university and hospital. Lyme disease is spread by infected deer ticks and can cause damage to joints and the nervous system if not treated. Researchers from the University of Maine and Maine Medical Center Research Institute’s Lyme & Vector-Borne Disease Laboratory collected ticks from small mammals in Holt Research Forest in Arrowsic to track prevalence. (3/22)

The Boston Globe: Eviction Rates Higher In Communities Of Color During Pandemic, Report Finds
The rate of eviction filings in Massachusetts during the pandemic was nearly twice as high in communities of color as it was in predominantly white neighborhoods, according to a report released Tuesday by the housing justice coalition Homes for All Massachusetts. In the year following the expiration of the state’s eviction and foreclosure moratorium in October 2020, 55 percent of eviction filings in the state’s six housing courts occurred in areas where the majority of residents identified as Black, Latino, Asian American/Pacific Islander, or Indigenous, even though only 42 percent of the state’s renters live in those neighborhoods. In particular, evictions were more common in places with larger percentages of Black and Latino renters, among households headed by single mothers, and in places with higher concentrations of corporate landlords. (Johnston, 3/22)

The New York Times: MacKenzie Scott Gives $436 Million To Habitat For Humanity 
MacKenzie Scott, who promised in 2019 that she would give away her fortune “until the safe is empty,” has donated $436 million to Habitat for Humanity International and its 84 affiliates, the organization said Tuesday. The gift is designed to help alleviate the global housing shortage and promote “equitable access to affordable housing,” Habitat for Humanity said in a statement. (Cramer, 3/22)

The 19th: Oklahoma's House Passes A Texas-Style Ban On Almost All Abortions
Oklahoma’s state House on Tuesday voted 78-19 to pass a near complete ban on abortions, legislation that far surpasses Texas’ six-week ban. The bill is now headed to the Senate and, if passed, will be the strictest anti-abortion bill in the country. The legislation — known as House Bill 4327 — bars a physician from performing or inducing an abortion at any point in the pregnancy unless it is “to save the life” of the pregnant person. Similar to Texas’ six-week abortion ban, the new legislation would allow private citizens to pursue civil actions of up to $10,000 against anyone who performs or “aids and abets in the provision of such an abortion.” An “emergency clause” adopted means that, if the bill is signed into law, it would take effect immediately. (Padilla, 3/22)

Axios: Oklahoma House Passes Near-Total Abortion Ban
The Oklahoma House voted 78-19 Tuesday to ban all abortions unless it's necessary for saving a pregnant person's life. The bill, which would incentivize private citizens to sue anyone suspected of helping a person get an abortion, would surpass Texas' six-week abortion ban to become the most restrictive in the nation. The bill now heads to the state Senate. If signed into law, it would take effect immediately but would likely face legal challenges. (Chen and Gonzalez, 3/22)

California takes another step for abortion rights —

San Francisco Chronicle: Newsom Signs Bill To Prevent Health Insurance Companies, Plans From Charging Abortion Co-Pays, Fees
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Tuesday that officials said will reduce barriers to reproductive health care in California, namely by eliminating out-of-pocket costs for people seeking abortions and related services through health plans. The Abortion Accessibility Act, SB245, prevents health insurance companies from requiring co-pays, deductibles and other charges for abortions, and it prohibits them from imposing utilization management practices on covered reproductive health services, Newsom’s office said in a statement. (Picon, 3/22)

AP: California Governor Signs Law Making Abortions Cheaper
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Tuesday that will make abortions cheaper for people on private insurance plans, the first of more than a dozen bills the state’s Democratic leaders plan to pass this year to prepare for a potential U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could overturn Roe v. Wade. The new conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that banned states from outlawing abortion. If they do, at least 26 states are likely to either ban abortion outright or severely limit access, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that supports abortion rights. (Beam, 3/23)

In other health news from across the U.S. —

AP: Beshear Accuses Lawmakers Of 'Cruel' Votes On Veto Overrides
Republican lawmakers cast votes that will “kick struggling Kentuckians while they are down” when they passed bills impacting jobless benefits and food assistance, Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday. The Democratic governor responded on social media a day after the GOP-led legislature voted to override his vetoes of the two measures. Both proposals now become state law. Meanwhile, the wrangling continued Tuesday over the measure ending Kentucky’s two-year-old pandemic-related state of emergency a few weeks early. (Schreiner, 3/23)

Chicago Tribune: State Fines Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Illinois $339,000 For Violations 
Illinois is fining the parent company of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois — the largest health insurer in the state — $339,000 for allegedly violating state law. Health Care Service Corp. is facing the penalty because it was late filing documents proving it’s providing adequate networks of doctors and other providers to patients, according to the Illinois Department of Insurance. When Blue Cross stopped including the Springfield Clinic — a large, private multispecialty medical clinic in Springfield — in its network, it was supposed to submit updated filings to the state showing how it would continue to make sure patients in central Illinois would have adequate access to in-network doctors and providers, according to the Illinois Department of Insurance. (Schencker, 3/22)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri Lawmakers Seek Lower Drug Prices With Plan To Regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers 
Missouri lawmakers waded into a nationwide fight between independent pharmacies and companies that negotiate prescription drug benefits on behalf of health insurers. With smaller, non-chain pharmacies claiming pharmacy benefit managers are unfairly setting drug prices and clawing back a percentage of sales later, the Missouri House debated legislation Tuesday that would regulate PBMs in an attempt to protect pharmacy access for Missourians. The proposal, which could address the ballooning cost of prescription drugs, brought support from pharmacists and opposition from major insurers during an earlier committee hearing. (Erickson, 3/22)

The Boston Globe: Salem To Receive $1.3 Million In Opioid Settlement 
Salem will receive $1.3 million over the next 16 years as part of the recent national settlement of lawsuits brought against a pharmaceutical company and drug distributors relating to the opioid crisis. The $26 billion agreement settled civil claims brought by states and localities against Janssen, Johnson & Johnson, and the distributors, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen. Salem will receive $60,000 to $150,000 annually through 2038. All the funds will be directed toward opioid overdose prevention, education, and treatment. (Laidler, 3/22)

Health News Florida: Governor Receives A Bill That Would Create Student Epilepsy Plans 
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday formally received an education bill that calls for creating individualized plans to care for students who have epilepsy or seizure disorders. Lawmakers unanimously passed the bill (HB 173) during the legislative session that ended last week. DeSantis will have until April 6 to act on it. The bill would require schools to create “individualized seizure action” plans at the request of parents, with the plans providing guidelines for caring for students with epilepsy. (3/22)

NBC News: Utah Governor Cites Suicide Rates For Transgender Youth In Vetoing Sports Ban Bill: ‘I Want Them To Live’
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox made an emotional plea for compassion toward transgender youth Tuesday in explaining his decision to veto a bill banning transgender students from playing girls' sports. In a letter to the state's Senate president and House speaker, Cox told his fellow Republicans that he was moved by data showing that among 75,000 kids playing high school sports in Utah, only four were transgender, with just one involved in girls sports. ... Cox also cited research on how a sense of belonging could reduce suicide rates among transgender youth, adding that while he struggled to understand "conflicting" science, he sought to employ kindness. (Richards, 3/22)

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Lawmakers To Meet Friday To Override Gov. Cox’s Veto On Bill To Ban Transgender Girls In Female School Sports
Utah legislative leaders on Tuesday announced their plan to meet this Friday for an override session minutes after Gov. Spencer Cox vetoed a bill that would prevent transgender girls from participating in school sports that match their gender identities. In a letter addressed to Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Brad Wilson, Cox defended his decision to veto the proposed legislation. “I know both of you are committed to these same ideals and that we have worked very hard together to resolve the many issues surrounding transgender student participation in sports. Unfortunately, HB11 has several fundamental flaws and should be reconsidered,” Cox wrote. (Bojórquez and Schott, 3/22)

In updates on transgender health in Indiana and Texas —

Indianapolis Star: Indiana GOP Lawmakers Vow To Override Transgender Sports Ban Veto
Gov. Eric Holcomb opposed lawmakers from his own party Monday when he vetoed legislation that would ban transgender girls from playing on girls sports teams at school. Within hours, fellow Republicans began calling on the Indiana General Assembly to override the veto. Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers of the Statehouse but only need a simple majority to override a veto. Several have already said they'll vote for the override, which could be acted on as early as May when lawmakers return for a one-day special session to handle technical corrections. (Herron, 3/22)

Houston Chronicle: In Austin, Nancy Pelosi Decries ‘Heinous’ Investigations Of Texas Transgender Kids’ Families
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday called Texas child abuse investigations into the families of transgender children one of the most “heinous” policies she has encountered in 35 years in public office. During an evening event at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library, Pelosi also took aim at Texas’ new voting restrictions and near-total abortion ban. But her harshest words came for Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to investigate parents for abuse if they provide their children with gender-affirming health care. “Families embrace their child, and what is the right of the governor of this state ... to intervene in that?” Pelosi said. (Harris, 3/22)

And Florida's governor continues his assault on LGBTQ+ rights —

NBC News: DeSantis Slams NCAA And Lia Thomas, Declares Florida Swimmer 'Rightful Winner'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an official proclamation Tuesday declaring a Florida resident the “rightful winner” of an NCAA women’s swimming championship race over transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. Thomas — the University of Pennsylvania swimmer whose record-breaking season has sparked national debate over whether trans women should compete on female sports teams — became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA championship last week, placing first in the 500-yard freestyle race at the Division I finals in Atlanta on Thursday. (Lavietes, 3/22)

The Wall Street Journal: Disney Workers Walk Out To Protest Company’s Response To Florida Bill 
Small groups of Walt Disney Co. employees across the U.S. took Tuesday off from work and gathered to protest what they described as the company’s continued failure to support LGBT employees. The walkouts mark the beginning of a third week of turmoil inside the entertainment giant as its leadership struggles to contain fallout from its bungled response to a Republican-led education bill in Florida, which many employees said targeted the LGBT community. (Whelan and Sayre, 3/22)

Politico: Florida Dems Back Down After LGBTQ Caucus Threatens Boycott Of Annual Gala Amid Disney Dust-Up 
The Florida Democratic Party late Tuesday night abruptly scrapped plans to hold its biggest annual fundraiser at Disney World after the party’s LBGTQ caucus and other top Democrats threatened to boycott the event amid the fight over controversial anti-LGBTQ legislation. Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz, confronting a mounting crisis, acknowledged that he had heard the “feedback” about holding its “leadership Blue” gala at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort, which was blasted as “tone deaf” and led to a growing chorus of opposition. The party had announced the location of a gala on Monday. (Fineout, 3/22)

AP: U.S. Hospital Welcomes First Ukraine Child Cancer Patients 
Four Ukrainian children with cancer and their families arrived Tuesday at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, marking the first hospital in the U.S. to receive patients from Ukraine, officials announced. According to St. Jude, the families travelled aboard a U.S. government medical transport aircraft from Krakow, Poland. Some of the children held white unicorn stuffed animals and Ukrainian flags as they walked into the hospital, according to video provided by St. Jude. (Kruesi, 3/22)

CBS News: Ukrainians Cope With Devastation As Government Says 10 Hospitals Have Been Completely Destroyed In Invasion
Ukraine's government said 10 hospitals have been completely destroyed in Russia's invasion, including one that was decimated by a Russian missile strike on Monday. "I want to cry, because we had a connection between Ukraine and Russia," doctor Anatoli Pavlov said. "Russian cruelty is so brutal." he U.S. has evidence that Russia is deliberately and intentionally targeting civilians, including hospitals and places of shelter, a senior Defense Department official told CBS News. The U.S. said it has seen clear evidence the Russians are committing war crimes as civilians are killed in their homes and on the street. (Williams, 3/22)

The Wall Street Journal: Ukraine War’s Spillover Swamps Poor Countries Still Reeling From Covid-19 
Over the past 120 years, a Beirut bakery has survived civil war, Lebanon’s financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. Fighting in Ukraine, disrupting food and energy supplies world-wide, may soon put it out of business. Zouhair Khafiyeh’s storefront is empty of the pastries and meat-stuffed pies he has sold for years, which helped put his children through college. The cost of a bag of flour on the black market has gone up more than 1000% since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion. Mr. Khafiyeh has raised his prices by 50%, he said, and now bakes only when customers order and pay up front. “We cannot continue like this,” said Mr. Khafiyeh, 54 years old. He fears he may have to close his bakery within a month. (Shah, Osseiran and Bariyo, 3/22)

Also —

Politico: Get Ready For ‘Hell,’ UN Food Chief Warns Amid Ukraine Shockwaves
The head of the world’s biggest food aid agency has a stark warning for European leaders: Pay more now to stave off global hunger or suffer a migration crisis later. Russia's war in Ukraine has sent a shockwave through international food markets, worsening the already dire problem of global hunger by disrupting supply and inflating prices. That risks tipping the poorest, most famine-ravaged regions of the planet into political chaos and creating an unprecedented migration crisis, according to David Beasley, the World Food Programme’s executive director. In an interview with POLITICO, Beasley warned that Europe must donate more funding urgently or it will bear the brunt of the fallout. (Wax, 3/22)

The Washington Post: Forest Fires Near Russian-Held Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Raise Radiation Fears, Ukraine Says 
Forest fires have broken out around the Chernobyl nuclear site, Ukraine’s parliament said Monday, raising fears that radiation could spread from the defunct facility. At least seven fires within the closed-down plant’s exclusion zone were observed on satellite imagery from the European Space Agency, the parliament said in a statement. The lawmakers blamed the blazes on Russian forces that captured the site in February. (Suliman, Stern and Mufson, 3/22)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Rethinks Uranium Supply For Nuclear Plants After Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shaken the global market for uranium, a critical fuel for nuclear-power plants, prompting some in the U.S. to propose reviving domestic production. Russia enriches more uranium for use in nuclear plants than any other country in the world. Its increasing economic isolation following its attack on Ukraine—and talk of potential added sanctions on Russian uranium—have exposed the fragility of global nuclear-fuel supplies, which are controlled by a handful of countries. (Hiller, 3/22)

Stat: Pfizer Inks Deal With UNICEF To Supply Covid Pill To Poor Countries
As part of an effort to widen access to its Covid-19 pill, Pfizer has reached a deal with UNICEF to supply up to 4 million treatment courses to 95 low- and middle-income countries representing 53% of the global population. But consumer advocates have quickly argued the move falls short. The agreement follows a deal the company reached last November with the Medicines Patent Pool, a public health organization backed by the United Nations, to supply its Paxlovid pill to the same 95 countries. The arrangement calls for the MPP to sub-license production rights to generic companies to then manufacture and distribute their own versions at lower prices than the Pfizer pill. (Silverman, 3/22)

The Washington Post: Why Covax, The Best Hope For Vaccinating The World, Was Doomed To Fall Short 
It was, many experts thought, a noble and necessary effort. The goal: to combat a deadly coronavirus that in early 2020 was already spreading around the world. The idea: to coax wealthy and poor countries to pool their money to place advance orders for vaccine doses. Participating countries would then share doses equitably to protect their most vulnerable people first. But just months into the effort, it should have been clear it was doomed to fall short. (Taylor, 3/22)

And more about the spread of covid around the world —

Reuters: S.Korea's Total COVID Cases Top 10 Million As Crematoria, Funeral Homes Overwhelmed 
South Korea's total coronavirus infections topped 10 million, or nearly 20% of its population, authorities said on Wednesday, as surging severe cases and deaths increasingly put a strain on crematories and funeral homes nationwide. The country has been battling a record COVID-19 wave driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant even as it largely scrapped its once aggressive tracing and quarantine efforts and eased social distancing curbs. (Shin, 3/23)

Bloomberg: Europe Hit By Covid Wave After ‘Brutally’ Easing Curbs, WHO Says
A third of European nations, including Germany, France and the U.K., are seeing a surge in Covid-19 cases after “brutally” easing restrictions, the World Health Organization’s regional head said. “The countries where we see in particular an increase are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, France, Italy and Germany,” Hans Kluge, the WHO’s director for Europe, said at a briefing in Moldova on Tuesday. “Those countries are lifting restrictions brutally from too much to too few.” (Matsuyama, 3/23)

AP: Idaho Dance Group Stuck In Ireland Because Of COVID-19 
The Red Hot Mamas musical-comedy group from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, gave a well-received performance at the March 17 St. Patrick’s Festival Parade in Limerick, Ireland, but some members had to stay in the country longer than expected after testing positive for COVID-19. Trip leader Pam Ames says about half the group of 15 had to quarantine in Ireland this past week, although six participants who tested negative did fly home. (3/22)

The New York Times: South Africa Begins To Lift Covid Restrictions But Leaves Its Indoor Mask Mandate.
South Africa will begin lifting Covid-19 restrictions on Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday in an address that marked the start of what he called a “new era” in the country’s fight against the pandemic. Masks will no longer be required outdoors in South Africa but will continue to be required in public indoor spaces, including shops, offices and public transportation. (Patil, 3/23)

In other global developments —

Stat: Aurobindo, Major Generic Drug Maker, Will Close A Key U.S. Production Plant
Aurobindo Pharma, which is based in India and is one of the largest global producers of generic medicines, is closing its U.S. manufacturing facility in New Jersey next month, according to a notice filed with the state Department of Labor. In its filing, the generic drug company disclosed it is terminating operations of its Aurolife Pharma unit in Dayton, N.J., and will eliminate a total of 99 jobs as of April 26. No further details were provided and calls to the facility were not returned. No one at Aurobindo headquarters in Hyderabad, India, could be reached for comment. (Silverman, 3/22)

AP: 9 Million Children To Be Vaccinated Against Polio In Africa
A drive to vaccinate more than 9 million children against polio has been launched this week in four countries in southern and eastern Africa after an outbreak was confirmed in Malawi. The urgent vaccination campaign has started in Malawi where drops of the inoculation are being placed in the mouths of children across the country, including in the capital, Lilongwe, and the country’s largest city, Blantyre. (3/22)

CIDRAP: WHO Calls For More TB Funds, Shorter Treatment For Kids
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced new recommendations yesterday for diagnosing and treating children and young adolescents with tuberculosis (TB), including drug-resistant forms of the disease. The recommendations were among the items discussed at a press briefing in advance of World TB Day on Mar 24. WHO officials also shared their concerns about the ability to treat TB patients in Ukraine amid the destruction caused by the Russian invasion, and called for more international funding for TB diagnostics, treatment, and prevention. (Dall, 3/22)

ScienceDaily: Exposure To Phthalates -- The 'Everywhere Chemical' -- May Increase Children's Cancer Risk 
The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, suggests that exposure to medication-associated phthalates may contribute to the development of some childhood cancers, and that minimizing exposure to phthalates may help prevent some childhood cancers in the future. (University of Vermont, 3/16)

CIDRAP: Experimental Drug For Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Shows Some Promise
A potential treatment for the prion infection known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), developed by UK scientists, has shown "very encouraging" early results in six patients at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), according to a study yesterday in The Lancet Neurology. Researchers at the MRC Prion Unit at UCL developed a monoclonal antibody called PRN100 that was administered to six UCLH patients with CJD—four women and six men—from October 2018 to July 2019. (3/17)

ScienceDaily: Researchers May Have Unlocked The Blood-Brain Barrier 
The brain is composed of billions of neurons -- vulnerable cells that require a protective environment to function properly. This delicate environment is protected by 400 miles of specialized vasculature designed to limit which substances come into contact with the brain. This blood-brain barrier is essential for protecting the organ from toxins and pathogens. But it also blocks the passage of therapeutic drugs. (Yale University, 3/16)

CIDRAP: Study Highlights Risk Of Low COVID Vaccine Uptake In Prison Staff 
Stanford University researchers report that 61% of custody staff and 36% of healthcare staff at California state prisons were unvaccinated against COVID-19 as of Jun 30, 2021, posing risks to inmates, other staff, and the surrounding community. (Beusekom, 3/15)

ScienceDaily: Marijuana For Medical Use May Result In Rapid Onset Of Cannabis Use Disorder
A new study shows that using cannabis products to treat pain, anxiety and depression failed to improve these symptoms while doubling the risk of developing the addictive symptoms of cannabis use disorder. People seeking cannabis to treat symptoms of anxiety and depression were at greatest risk of CUD. Contrary to evidence-based medicine, people with medical marijuana cards choose their own products and dosing, suggesting the need for better controls over dispensing, use, and professional follow-up of these patients. (Massachusetts General Hospital, 3/18)

The Lancet: Long-Term Treatment With Clozapine And Other Antipsychotic Drugs And The Risk Of Haematological Malignancies In People With Schizophrenia
Clozapine is the most efficacious treatment for schizophrenia and is associated with lower overall mortality than are other antipsychotic drugs, despite the risk of agranulocytosis. Preliminary reports over the past 10 years suggest a possible risk of haematological malignancies, but the issue has remained unsettled. We aimed to study the risk of haematological malignancies associated with use of clozapine and other antipsychotics. (Tiihonen, MD, et al, 3/22)

JAMA: Association Of Type Of Oral Anticoagulant Dispensed With Adverse Clinical Outcomes In Patients Extending Anticoagulation Therapy Beyond 90 Days After Hospitalization For Venous Thromboembolism 
Among patients prescribed extended anticoagulant treatment after hospitalization for venous thromboembolism (VTE), is the type of oral anticoagulant prescribed beyond 90 days associated with different rates of adverse clinical outcomes? (Pawar, PhD, et al, 3/15)

ScienceDaily: Antabuse May Help Revive Vision In People With Progressive Blinding Disorders
Animal and cell studies show that as retinal cells die in degenerative eye diseases, they make other cells hyperactive, creating noise that further obscures vision. Tests to prove this in humans are hard to conduct, however. Antabuse, an approved drug used to wean people off alcohol, should tamp down this hyperactivity and conclusively show whether hyperactivity plays a role in humans, potentially driving work to find better drugs to help those with progressive vision loss. (University of California - Berkeley, 3/18)

ScienceDaily: Effectiveness Of Antibiotics Significantly Reduced When Multiple Bugs Present 
A study has found that much higher doses of antibiotics are needed to eliminate a bacterial infection of the airways when other microbes are present. It helps explain why respiratory infections often persist in people with lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis despite treatment. (University of Cambridge, 3/19)

ScienceDaily: Engineering An 'Invisible Cloak' For Bacteria To Deliver Drugs To Tumors 
Columbia Engineering researchers report that they have developed a "cloaking" system that temporarily hides therapeutic bacteria from immune systems, enabling them to more effectively deliver drugs to tumors and kill cancer cells in mice. By manipulating the microbes' DNA, they programmed gene circuits that control the bacteria surface, building a molecular "cloak'' that encapsulates the bacteria. (Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science, 3/17)

Newsweek: Whistleblowers Are Key To Reining In Prescription Drug Costs 
We are well past the time for figuring out how to tackle or at least temper the ever-escalating prices of our prescription drugs. Expanding the inflation rebate to Medicare offers at least one potential safeguard to keep drug pricing in check—so do whistleblowers. (Gordon Schnell and Max Voldman, 3/17)

The Morning Call: Prescription Prices: Give Medicare Power To Negotiate 
Prescription drugs don’t work if people can’t afford them. As someone who is affected by the shockingly high cost of prescription drugs that is only getting higher, I’m grateful to see Congresswoman Susan Wild speaking out about this issue. Recently, Wild, D-7th District, and 39 other House Democrats — including several from Pennsylvania — signed a letter calling on Congressional leadership to take immediate action and pass legislation that will give Medicare the power to negotiate the price of prescription drugs and bring down the high cost of medications for all Americans. (Donna Bowers, 3/22)

The CT Mirror: Fix Connecticut Prescription Costs In Ways That Help People Directly
Rarely in our history has the power of science and innovation to keep our communities safe and healthy been in such clear focus. And while vaccines have been grabbing headlines, for those of us in public health, we know that access to preventative treatments and medications is the best way to keep our population healthy and living full, productive lives. (Dawn Hocevar, 3/18)

The Star Tribune: Bill Would Bring Relief On Drug Costs 
More Minnesotans than ever rely on prescription drugs to manage diseases that once were fatal or debilitating. These drugs can be lifesaving, but often come with price tags that can prove disruptive to care. One study found 4 out of 10 cancer patients abandon their treatment when it costs more than $2,000.As a small-business owner in Bemidji and a health care provider in Rochester, we understand the different sides of these challenges. What brings us together today is our enthusiasm for a legislative proposal that makes drug costs more manageable for some Minnesotans without hurting coverage for others. (Tom Vanderwal and Andrew Herber, 3/22)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Time I Bought Marijuana For My Son In A Petco Parking Lot
Back during my son’s two-year fight against an aggressive bone cancer, he was continually devastated by chemo treatments and the ensuing nausea. The doctors were always chasing that nausea, prescribing one drug after another for relief, a routine that was very hit and miss. Often miss. It was a hellish existence for Michael and very dire for my wife and I who had to helplessly watch our child suffer so miserably. (Bill Torpy, 3/23)

Miami Herald: Looser Pandemic Restrictions Reveal Mental-Health Crisis 
COVID-19 appears to be on the wane. But a - crisis may fill the void left by the virus. Some experts say the damage could last a generation. Since the earliest days of the pandemic, social workers have served on the front lines, providing essential mental-health services to those in need. As lockdowns hit and deaths multiplied, social workers helped individuals and families cope with anxiety, depression, grief and isolation. (Angelo McClain, 3/22)

The New York Times: The Next Covid Wave Is Probably Already On Its Way 
The most important lesson of the Covid pandemic is that the only constant is change. Variants spread, cases surge and abate, treatments change and knowledge expands. This means that we — the public, elected officials and public health leaders — need to learn constantly and adapt quickly, acting on the insight that no one policy response is likely to stay effective for long. (Tom Frieden, 3/22)

Roll Call: ‘We Don't Know That’: A Curious Answer About Biden And A 20-Year-Old Getting COVID 
Questions about the health of a 79-year-old head of state will always be risky business. The answers always are telling — sometimes, however, what’s sound medically can be lacking politically. Senior aides to older leaders handle queries about sniffles, limps, water glass-holding, annual physicals and, now, COVID-19 in a manner of ways. Over the years, some presidents have dispatched their military doctors to throw open — to some extent — their medical charts and let the world know how healthy they are. Such reports have been delivered with varying degrees of believability. (John T. Bennett, 3/22)

Stat: Pharma Executives Shouldn't Be Driving Covid-19 Vaccine Policy 
In a March 13 interview with CBS, Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s CEO, said his company intended to apply to the Food and Drug Administration for authorization of a fourth mRNA vaccine dose and implied that this was something all adults needed. Two days later, it did just that — but only for adults over 65. That same day, Stephen Hoge, Moderna’s president, took a different perspective: that a fourth dose of his company’s mRNA vaccine wasn’t required for all adults but could benefit older and immunocompromised Americans. Two days later, Moderna announced it was requesting FDA authorization of a fourth vaccine dose for everyone aged 18 or over. (John P. Moore and Luciana L. Borio, 3/22)

The Atlantic: What Americans Really Think About The Pandemic 
Recent opinion surveys give mixed messages about how Americans perceive the current state of the pandemic, and what they think we should do about it. In a February Washington Post/ABC News poll, for example, 58 percent of Americans said that controlling the spread of the coronavirus is more important than loosening restrictions on normal activities. In a Yahoo News/YouGov poll conducted the same week, 51 percent said we need to learn to live with COVID-19 and get back to normal. (Natalie Jackson, 3/23)

Also —

Georgia Health News: U.S. Health Care Still Lags On Affordability
Many years ago, I had lunch with Dr. Uwe Reinhardt, a distinguished health care economist, who was a speaker at a national conference for hospital CEOs put on by the organization employing me. In a good-humored way, he made clear to me that the United States did not have the best health care in the world, no matter what our politicians liked to say. Obviously, the troubled situation of our health care system start did not start with the Covid-19 pandemic, as extraordinary an upheaval as that was. Pre-Covid, there were numerous excellent studies and reports regarding the excessive costs plaguing the U.S. system. (Jack Bernard, 3/22)

Kansas City Star: Kansas Representative: US Diabetics Need Insulin Copay Cap 
My first experience with America’s broken health care system came when I fell into a diabetic coma at the age of 12. After three months in the hospital, a medical social worker enrolled me in Medicaid to cover insulin costs. But my family was left with crippling debt from my hospital stay. This was only the beginning of the nightmare that is living with diabetes in America. (Heather Meyer, 3/23)

Detroit News: Congress Must Make Immunization Affordable For Seniors
There isn’t anything we wouldn’t do to protect our parents, our grandparents and seniors across Michigan who we love. The pandemic has taught and reminded us a lot about what really matters in life — and the importance of our friends and family. It’s also reminded us about the importance of access to health care and prevention — especially among Michigan’s most at-risk populations. Unfortunately, we’ve learned that a cost-sharing provision in the Medicare Part D program may be impacting Michigan seniors by making it harder than it needs to be to get the immunizations they need. (Saul Anuzis, 3/20)

The CT Mirror: Lead Toxicity Is Still A Problem In Connecticut: H.B. 5045 Can Help
In the past two years most people have spent more time at home shielding from possible exposure to a deadly virus. We assume we are safer at home – but what if our homes are not as safe as we think? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that over 5 million homes across the country expose families to high levels of lead, which can permanently affect our brains, especially children. Nationally, one in five children have elevated blood lead levels. Children living in Connecticut are particularly vulnerable, in part because 70% of homes in Connecticut were built prior to the 1978 ban on lead paint. And due to the pandemic, children have spent more time at home than ever before, so clinicians and educators fear an imminent surge in lead toxicity. (Ada Fenick MD, Shashwat Kala and Madisen Swallow, 3/23)

Denver Post: Make Roe V. Wade Irrelevant In Colorado
There is still a chance that the U.S. Supreme Court won’t overturn decades of constitutional legal precedent guaranteeing that women in this country have the right to make fundamental decisions about their bodies, futures and health without government intervention. However, in December, the Supreme Court’s oral arguments about a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi did not inspire confidence in some justices’ dedication to American jurisprudence. (3/22)

Scientific American: What Quantum Mechanics Can Teach Us About Abortion 
The ways people conceptualize and discuss abortion will become more important in coming years. The Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health could overturn 50 years of national precedent establishing abortion as a fundamental right of individuals prior to fetal viability. (Cara C. Heuser, 3/21)

Stat: The Case For Decriminalizing The Street Sale Of Buprenorphine 
Isolation and anxiety caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has fueled an already out of control overdose crisis. In 2020 alone, more than 100,000 individuals died from overdose. With overdose rates reaching unfathomable heights, dramatic steps are needed to stem the loss of life. The Department of Health and Human Services took one important step by eliminating a special training requirement — obtaining a so-called X waiver — for clinicians to be able to prescribe buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist used to treat opioid use disorder. This drug helps people avoid opioids by reducing opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms. (John C. Messinger, Anand Chukka and J. Wesley Boyd, 3/22)

Stat: Google Still Has A Problem With Stem Cell And Unproven Therapies 
Hey, Google: Remember that stem cell problem you tried to fix in 2019 by banning clinics from advertising unproven therapies on your platform? The solution didn’t last. Clinics have adapted, but you haven’t, leading to widespread use of your search platform by clinics to pitch risky cell injections. (Paul Knoepfler, 3/23)

The Baltimore Sun: Paid Family And Medical Leave In Maryland: Don’t Lose Momentum Now, Legislators 
A slew of bills on significant issues — with significant details still to be worked out — survived the first 69 days and countint of analysis in the Maryland General Assembly, including the flurry of activity that accompanied “Crossover Day” on Monday, passing through one legislative chamber to the next for consideration. Among the topics with differing visions from legislators: abortion rights, climate change mitigation and how to divvy up $350 million worth of planned tax relief. But perhaps the biggest surprise is the chasm between the Maryland House and Senate chambers regarding state-wide paid family and medical leave, a subject that’s been under discussion for years and the focus of work groups, studies and prior failed legislation. (3/22)

Crain's Chicago Business: This Bill Gives Consumers A Leg Up When Battling Insurance Giants
Recently in a piece titled “Lawsuit sweepstakes,” the American Property Casualty Insurance Association attacked SB 1099 and the consumer legal funding industry by claiming they are suddenly concerned about protecting consumers. As a former partner at a large insurance defense firm and one of the founding fathers of the consumer legal funding industry, let me explain what is really behind the false attacks. (Brian Garelli, 3/21)